Timaru Te Tihi-o-Maru |
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Secondary urban area | |
Coordinates: 44°24′S 171°15′E / 44.400°S 171.250°ECoordinates: 44°24′S 171°15′E / 44.400°S 171.250°E | |
Country | New Zealand |
Region | Canterbury |
Territorial authority | Timaru District |
Government | |
• Mayor | Damon Odey |
Area | |
• Land | 2,736.54 km2 (1,056.58 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 95 m (312 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Population (June 2016) | |
• Urban | 28,800 |
Time zone | New Zealand Standard Time (UTC+12) |
• Summer (DST) | New Zealand Daylight Time (UTC+13) |
Postcode | 7910 |
Website | timaru.govt.nz |
Timaru (English pronunciation: /ˈtɪməˌruː/;Māori: Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand, located 157 kilometres southwest of Christchurch and about 196 kilometres northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to 28,800 people, and is the largest urban area in South Canterbury, and the second largest in the Canterbury Region overall, after Christchurch. The city is the seat of the Timaru District, which includes the surrounding rural area and the towns of Geraldine, Pleasant Point and Temuka, which combined has a total population of 46,700.
Caroline Bay beach is a popular recreational area located close to Timaru's city centre, just to the north of the substantial port facilities. Beyond Caroline Bay, the industrial suburb of Washdyke is at a major junction with State Highway 8, the main route into the Mackenzie Country. This provides a road link to Fairlie, Twizel, Lake Tekapo, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Queenstown.